Pinkie Pie: Now she's sighing with the weight of the world. Now she's hanging her head in utter despair. Now she's shaking her hoof and cursing the heavens like nothing could ever possibly be the same again. Why, oh, why did this happen to her?!

Rainbow Dash: What?!

Pinkie Pie: Whoops. Never mind. That time, she was just stretching. [chuckles]

Rainbow Dash: Oh, really? [reading] "Author A. K. Yearling announced yesterday that the next adventure novel in her popular series, 'Daring Do and the Curse of the Pharaoh's Tomb', will be her last. Yearling looks forward to her retirement." That doesn't explain anything!

A. K. Yearling: [groans]

Rainbow Dash: It just says you're giving up writing stories. But most ponies don't know that you actually are Daring Do and that the stories are real. So what you're really saying is that you're giving up being Daring Do, but you're not saying why!

Rainbow Dash: Daring Do thwarts Ahuizotl's evil plot to separate the Sister Crown Relics. And if it wasn't for her, the region would be cursed with eternal night, and the entire town of Somnambula would have sunk into the ground!

Pinkie Pie: Ooh, she's fancy. I got this. [to Mrs. Trotsworth] A good evening to you, madame. We are but weary travelers who humbly wish to inquire on the status of a certain mare of intrigue taking residence here.

Mrs. Trotsworth: What in Southern Equestria are you on about?

Pinkie Pie: Is it true that Daring Do stays here?

Mrs. Trotsworth: Ha! Not anymore, she doesn't!

Rainbow Dash: Why not?

Mrs. Trotsworth: The last time I rented that rascal a room, she was in such a rush to hightail it outta here, she didn't even pay her bill!

Rainbow Dash: But—

Mrs. Trotsworth: After that, a band of ruffians showed up and destroyed half the rooms looking for her. Guess she made them even more mad than she made me!

Rainbow Dash: No, no, no. You've got it all wrong.

Mrs. Trotsworth: Hmph! How do you figure?

Rainbow Dash: Daring Do was trying to save everypony from the curse of the Doomed Diadem of Xilati. And she was only in a rush because she had to get the crown back to the Tiara of Teotlale before the curse took effect. [to Pinkie Pie] Chapter seventeen.

Mrs. Trotsworth: Sounds like a tall tale to me. And a hard one to believe, now that I know Daring Do is a scoundrel and a thief! Every year, ponies come to offer precious glowpaz to the Somnambula statue in the village in hopes for a good future. Why, that poor fella had his glowpaz necklace stolen by Daring Do just yesterday!

Rainbow Dash: Hmmm...

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie: [gasps] There's A. K.!

Dr. Caballeron: Daring Do ruined our town and stole our precious glowpaz! We need to make sure that if she turns up again, there will be consequences! Everypony who's with me, meet at the statue tomorrow!

[ponies agreeing]

A. K. Yearling: [sighs] Now I'm getting blamed for things I didn't even do? Why would I steal from them?

Pinkie Pie: They are super bad! But we're still staying the night, right? [chomp] Because I already ate all the free mini muffins! [giggles]

Rainbow Dash: Listen, A. K. After a good night's sleep, we're going to fix all of this. I promise.

[ponies murmuring]

A. K. Yearling: I shouldn't be here, Rainbow Dash. This is never gonna work.

Rainbow Dash: Of course it will! All I have to do is go up there and explain to everypony how wrong they all are.

Pinkie Pie: Yeah! And then I'll be like, "What she said!"

A. K. Yearling: [sighs] Easy-peasy-cheesy...

Pinkie Pie: Exactly!

Dr. Caballeron: Here it is! The remains of your– I mean, our Somnambula statue! Now that Daring Do has destroyed it, tell me, where will we hang our glowpaz?

Random Villager: We don't even have any glowpaz because they were stolen by Daring Do!

[ponies shouting and booing]

Rainbow Dash: Daring Do would never steal anything! And okay, she destroyed your statue, but it was because she was trying to save you all from Ahuizotl!

Rainbow Dash: Trust me, if Ahuizotl had gotten away with the Doomed Diadem, your entire village would have been swallowed up! And that's a lot worse than losing some crummy old statue!

[ponies gasping]

"Cortland": Ahem! This was not some crummy old statue! It was the namesake of our town! If you want to understand us, you must first understand her.

Rainbow Dash: Who?

"Cortland": Somnambula. Long ago...

"Cortland": [narrating] ...this village fell prey to an evil Sphinx who demanded most of their crops. Like her fellow villagers, Somnambula didn't have much, but she used what she had to keep others from giving up hope. The son of the Pharaoh, Prince Hisan, was so moved by her compassion that he decreed nopony would go hungry again. But when Hisan stood up to the Sphinx, the beast captured him, telling the Pharaoh the only way to get Hisan back was to solve her riddle. Nopony would volunteer to save the prince. Nopony except Somnambula.

[adventurous music]

"Cortland": [narrating] The Sphinx gave her the riddle. "I shine brightest in the dark. I am there but cannot be seen. To have me costs you nothing. To be without me costs you everything." As Somnambula thought of the hardship she and her fellow villagers had experienced, she instantly knew the answer. "Hope!", she shouted.

[Sphinx roaring]

"Cortland": [narrating] The Sphinx was so enraged, it seemed she might still refuse to release the prince, so Somnambula asked her for one more challenge. But if she accomplished it, the Sphinx would leave from the kingdom forever. The Sphinx quickly agreed, asking only that Somnambula walk to the prince across a deep chasm... blindfolded! Further, the Sphinx had cast a powerful spell that prevented Somnambula from flying.

[Sphinx laughing evilly]

"Cortland": [narrating] But Somnambula never lost hope! She knew she'd need to make a leap of faith to save the prince. Guided by the sound of the prince's voice... she easily made it across.

[Sphinx roaring]

"Cortland": [narrating] The Pharaoh asked how Somnambula prevailed, and she explained that she had always hoped she could make things better for her people and that hope had carried her through. The Prince replaced the pearls Somnambula gave up with a string of glowpaz. And around her neck, they glowed bright enough to light the entire kingdom.

"Cortland": Forever after, glowpaz became our symbol of hope.

[ponies chattering]

Rainbow Dash: Wow. I had no idea how special the statue was to you. Somnambula sounds like a pretty cool pony. But I bet if she were here, she'd tell you how cool Daring Do is too, because they've both fought to protect this town!

[ponies chattering]

Dr. Caballeron: If Somnambula were here today, she would condemn Daring Do for destroying your– our symbol of hope!

[ponies booing and shouting]

Rainbow Dash: Hey, buddy! What did Daring Do ever do to you to deserve all this?!

Dr. Caballeron: Only... everything!

Rainbow Dash: Dr. Caballeron?!

Dr. Caballeron: Yes... Rainbow Dash. [laughing evilly] When I saw you, her closest friend, I knew that Daring Do would not be far behind. I really do owe you for leading her right to me.

Rainbow Dash: But I-I didn't mean to—

Dr. Caballeron: Thank you for helping me break Daring Do's spirit by destroying her reputation, but I can't have you running off and telling her my plan. [whistles]

Dr. Caballeron: [laughing evilly] If my previous plan didn't cause you to give up, Daring Do, then the shame of losing your dear friend Rainbow Dash to the slime will! Oh, and that ancient magic from the legend is real. There'll be no flying in the pyramid! Good luck, Daring Do! [laughing evilly]

[slam]

Daring Do: [grunting] He's right! We'll never get to her in time!

Pinkie Pie: If this really is like Somnambula's story, then we just have to have hope that we can.

Daring Do: I think we need more than hope, Pinkie. There was a bridge in the story, and there's no bridge here. What are we going to do?

Rainbow Dash: [whimpering]

Pinkie Pie: I don't know, but Rainbow Dash is our friend. Just like Somnambula. We need to make a leap of faith and hope that we can save her! [grunts]

Daring Do: Pinkie!

[steam rushing]

Daring Do: Aha!

Pinkie Pie: Wheeee! [giggles] I knew we'd do it!

Daring Do: Thanks for reminding me to never give up hope, Pinkie.

Rainbow Dash: And I'm kinda "hoping" you ponies will untie me before we all take a bath in bubbling green slime!

Daring Do: We're on it!

[steam rushing]

[ponies chattering]

Daring Do: Not so fast, Caballeron!

Henchponies: [gasps]

[glowpaz clattering]

"Nile Faras": You stole our glowpaz!

[ponies shouting]

Daring Do: I should have known you were just trying to sully my name so that you'd be free to steal whatever you wanted.

Dr. Caballeron: Of course that was the plan, Daring Do! At first I just wanted the glowpaz, but then I saw an opportunity to write you out of the story for good! [laughing evilly]

[ponies gasping]

Dr. Caballeron: And with the destruction you leave in your wake, it didn't take too much to convince ponies you were a villain!

Daring Do: You're wrong, Caballeron. And I won't let you break my spirit again. Because I'm never going to give up hope that I can protect ponies and ancient treasures from miscreants like you!